WeGA, Briefe, Digitale Edition
author: Weber, Carl Maria von
language: en
availability: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Charles Kemble.
Esqr.
Mannager of the Royal-Theatre
Coventgarden
London [Im Entwurf hat Weber die Adresse unten gegenüber der Abschiedsfloskel am Rand notiert.]

Sir!

I habe received Your Kind letter and the first Act of Oberon with great pleasure. But: — it is too late, — and seems impossible to finish such a work for the next Season. The more so as I have only the first Act without a plan of the whole. Before I know the extent and the character of all the musical pieces, I can calculate neither [im Entwurf ursprünglich: not for neither calculate; zur jetzigen Form korrigiert] the encrease of the effects, nor the complection of each individual piece.

Without the surwey of the whole, my phantasy can not possibly develop itself, or be chained down to minutes.

I wright this in the first days of January. This month will certainly pass, ere I receive the other two acts. — At Easter You wish me in London with the new opera. — Easter falls upon the fourth April [Am 3. April 1825 war Ostersonntag.]. — March would be lost by the journey and the preparations for it. — what have I left? one month, which I can not even employ entierly at this performance.

Whether now under these circumstances my presence in London can be advantageous; or whether it were not better to delay this undertaking till the Season of 1826: — all these questions only You Sir can solve.

Besides this, consider, dear Sir, that my personal arrival in London would wear off the edge of the interest of the public for a compositeur, who can not afford to bring along with him a new entertainment for its greedy ears. [Dieser Abschnitt wurde im Entwurf von Böttiger auf einem am Rand angeklebten Papierschnipsel hinzugefügt.]

I have thought it my duty, to acquaint you immediately with my opinion. We can consol ourselves with its not being our fault. Now I have yet to confite upon Your Kindness for my weak english , and to assure You of the esteem and friendship with which I have the honor to sign Sir! your most obedient Servant Charles Marie de Weber
Dresden the 6t January 1825.